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<title>all those stars out there (and all i see is you) by orphan_account</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893945">all those stars out there (and all i see is you)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Comics</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Death, M/M, death in space, i hate this (and myself) :), this is so short i’m sorry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:28:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>639</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893945</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“We’re gonna survive, we’ll get back to Earth and we’ll see the rest of them again. And we’re gonna get married, and we’re gonna have kids, and we’re gonna grow old together.”<br/>—<br/>that’s kind of a lie, oops.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>all those stars out there (and all i see is you)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>inspired by @/guardiavengers’ post on instagram &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, no, Tony— Tony, what are you doing? Put your hel- your helmet back on! Please don’t...” A hacking, violent cough forces its way out of Steve’s mouth. “I don’t need... I don’t need it. I need </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">you</span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1">.” It’s not the coughing, or the ragged breaths that strains his voice on the last words, but the pain. Because he isn’t only losing Tony. Every person he’d loved and lost dragged a piece of his soul with them. And Tony had buried himself deep in the centre of Steve’s heart. If he dies, he’ll tear Steve into pieces and grind them to dust.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You go. It’s… better…” Fire rages through Tony’s lungs as he gasps for a breath he can’t take. He gazes into Steve’s eyes, lit with panic, watches his hands fumble with the helmet. “It’s better… me than you.” His thoughts flicker back to Howard’s words, now a mantra almost seared into his mind – </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">you’re too soft, too weak, worthless, nothing, nobody, a waste of the air you’re breathing</span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1"><em>.</em> Not that there’s any air to breathe now. He averts his gaze, unable to look Steve in the eye. Steve’s a good man. Nothing like poor, broken Tony Stark. Even now, it’s hard for him to imagine that someone like Steve could ever have wanted him, that he wasn’t too damaged to be loved. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Steve grabs hold of Tony’s hand. It’s cold, even through the suit. “Tony, stay with me, please, d- don’t...” He places two fingers on Tony’s neck, desperately hoping for a pulse. He waits a second, two seconds. Breathes a sigh of relief. It’s weak, but it’s there. “Hold on, just hold on, Tony, I’ll get you out of here.” His eyes dart around, searching for a way out. Nothing. Emptiness. Nothing but the dark blue velvet of space and the brilliant shine of the stars. A sob escapes Steve’s throat. “We’re gonna be okay, you’ll be fine, you’ll be fine,” he whispers, even though he knows it not to be true. “We’re gonna survive, we’ll get back to Earth and we’ll see the rest of them again. And we’re gonna get married, and we’re gonna have kids, and we’re gonna grow old together. You can’t die, you have to get through this. Please. I don’t know what... I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’m nothing without you. You can’t die, you just can’t...” </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">You can’t leave me</span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1">, Steve wants to finish, but he feels Tony slipping away beneath his fingers. He fumbles with his helmet, ripping the metal from his face, trying to fasten it to Tony’s suit. It’s too late. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The last thought Tony has is that this isn’t such a bad way to go. He looks out to the stars around them, their glow reflected in his weary face, to Steve, with his sorrowful, desperate eyes. </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Let me go</span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1">, he tries to whisper. Nothing comes out. A part of him drifts away. He can’t hold on anymore; he knows he’s not that strong. Tony gazes up at Steve, hoping his eyes alone can convey the millions of unsaid things he has left – </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s1">I love you, I’m sorry, it’s alright, you’ll be fine</span>
  </em>
  <span class="s2">. He’s not in pain as he succumbs to the dying of the light.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">As the last breath escapes Steve’s lips, he fights. Not because he’s particularly determined to live through this – a part of him knows it’s his end, but because he’s a soldier at his core. He fights the good fight, never once surrendering. The darkness takes him by force. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As the last breath escapes Steve’s lips, he fights. Not because he’s particularly determined to live through this – a part of him knows it’s his end, but because he’s a soldier at his core. He fights the good fight, never once surrendering. The darkness takes him by force. </span>
</p>
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